Better picture of postal carbon footprint emerges

The UPU continues to refine its data collection on the environmental impact of postal activities, thanks to expanded surveys and better cooperation with member countries and international organizations.

Annually, hundreds of thousands of postal workers make their rounds on foot or on some 730,000 bicycles, covering 6 billion kilometres with no carbon footprint (Photo: Deutsche Post DHL)

According to its third global inventory on greenhouse-gas emissions, Posts around the world generated an estimated 56.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2010. This represents 0.15 per cent of the 38 billion tonnes of CO2 generated annually worldwide.

As a comparison, the maritime sector produces 3.3 per cent of total global emissions or 1.02 billion tonnes of CO2. The aviation sector produces 2.2 per cent of total emissions or 705 million tonnes.

Postal picture

Posts in North, South and Central America, Western Europe, South Asia and Oceania account for 95.5 per cent of the greenhouse gases produced by UPU member countries. Posts in Africa, Eastern Europe and North Asia, account for only 4.5 per cent of the sector’s emissions.

The latest global inventory collected data from 133 member countries and the International Post Corporation, a private-industry association, and PostEurop, a UPU restricted union.

For the first time, the 2010 inventory took into account emissions from rail and sea transport. Individual results were communicated confidentially to each country to encourage postal operators to reduce their emissions.

Alternative vehicles

Much of the postal sector’s carbon footprint is generated by its fleet of over one million vehicles. However, the use of electric and hybrid vehicles is on the rise among Posts, particularly in Europe and North America.

Others, such as Mauritius Post, have focused on streamlining their delivery routes to minimise environmental impact.

In Mauritius’s case, this was in response to the calculation of its carbon emissions in the first UPU inventory. It reduced the number of route circuits from 22 to 16, grouping together a number of offices in one large distribution centre.
The Post also decreased the number of delivery offices from 90 to 47. “A reduction in the mileage and fuel consumption of our postal vehicles led to a 25 per cent drop in CO2 emissions generated by our fleet,” said Giandev Moteea, Mauritius Post’s CEO.

For the next inventory on 2011, the UPU is cooperating with the International Civil Aviation Organization to gain a view of emissions stemming from airmail.

Environment [UPU News]